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Integrating climate change, biological invasions, and infectious wildlife diseases

David W. Thieltges·David B. Conn·Ross N. Cuthbert·Alison M. Dunn·Rosa Jolma·M. Camille Hopkins·Volodimir Sarabeev·Sander Smolders·Carol A. Stepien·K. Mathias Wegner·Patrick M. Kocovsky
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Abstract

Climate change is likely to affect infectious diseases that are facilitated by biological invasions, with repercussions for wildlife conservation and zoonotic risks. Current invasion management and policy are underprepared for the future risks associated with such invasion-related wildlife diseases. By considering evidence from bioclimatology, invasion biology, and disease research, we illustrate how climate change is anticipated to affect disease agents (parasites and pathogens), hosts, and vectors across the different stages of invasions. We highlight the opportunity to integrate these disciplines to identify the effects of climate change on invasion related wildlife diseases. In addition, shifting to a proactive stance in implementing management and policy, such as by incorporating climate-change effects either into preventative and mitigation measures for biosecurity or with rapid response protocols to limit disease spread and impacts, could help to combat future ecological, economic, and human health risks stemming from invasion-related wildlife diseases.

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David W. Thieltges, David B. Conn, Ross N. Cuthbert, Alison M. Dunn, Rosa Jolma, M. Camille Hopkins, Volodimir Sarabeev, Sander Smolders, Carol A. Stepien, K. Mathias Wegner, Patrick M. Kocovsky. 2025-04-23. Integrating climate change, biological invasions, and infectious wildlife diseases. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2849

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